Congressman Chip Pickering and Funding for ALS
 
 








Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE- May 18, 2006
Contact: BRIAN PERRY: 202-226-8294

PICKERING DISCUSSES ALS FUNDING

(LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE)
Pickering advocates increased funding during ALS Awareness Month

( WASHINGTON, D.C. ) - Congressman Chip Pickering visited with Steve Kennedy and Kyle Robertson, both of Jones County, Mississippi, this week to discuss ALS funding.  May is ALS Awareness Month.  ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) - more commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease - is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord.  When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement ends and patients in later stages are totally paralyzed, often despite sharp and alert minds.

Steve Kennedy's father, Dr. Larry Kennedy, is the current president of William Carey College.  Dr. Kennedy was diagnosed with ALS in July of 2005 and had planned to announce his condition in September, until Hurricane Katrina ravaged the school, destroying the entire Gulf Coast Campus and closing the nursing school in New Orleans.  After shepherding the school through that natural disaster, Dr. Kennedy again put-off his announcement rescheduled for December of 2005 when the college was presented with a generous contribution.  Dr. Kennedy delayed his personal concerns again, so as not to detract from the news of the gift. He finally announced his condition in the Spring of 2006.  President George W. Bush greeted Dr. Kennedy and recognized his sacrifice on his recent visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

"Dr. Kennedy is an example of a man facing a deteriorating disease with class and dignity and resolve.  He reminds us that anyone can be afflicted by this condition which has no currently known cause, cure or means of prevention.  Only one drug currently is available to even treat this disease and it only prolongs life a few months.  During ALS Awareness Month, I am advocating greater research investments into ALS," Pickering said.

Pickering noted that every day, on average 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS - more than 5,400 people per year.  The average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from time of diagnosis.  "With recent advances in research and improved medical care, patients are able to have longer, more productive lives.  But we have much left to learn about this mysterious and deadly disease," Pickering said.

Pickering advocates including $5 million in the FY 2008 Federal Budget to establish a national ALS registry at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and to enact the ALS Registry Act.  This will help identify occurrences of ALS, collect data surrounding it and examine standards of care.  Pickering said, "Promoting a better understanding of the disease will enhance the nation's efforts to find a treatment and cure.  "With studies indicating that ALS occurs at a greater rate in military veterans, Pickering encourages the Department of Defense to investigate the causes and take appropriate remedial action to prevent the development of this disease among our fighting men and women.

On the web: www.alsa.org

Chip Pickering is serving his fifth term as a Republican member of the

United States Congress, representing the Third District of Mississippi .

He is assistant majority whip and is Vice-Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

 
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Created:    May 19, 2006            Updated:    June 9, 2006